Stranger in the manger
23/12/2009 8:39:00 a.m.
Jesus wasn’t there.
But to be honest, I knew he wouldn’t be. Every year round this time, I visit St Mary of the Angels in Boulcott Street to see their beautiful crib set up in one of the side chapels. As you walk down the majestic gothic nave, your eyes go up to the stunning stained glass windows, and wooden rafters high above. I particularly noticed the image of Christ walking on the water and trying to rescue the impetuous Peter who’d got it into his head that anyone could do it, but instead found himself drowning in aquamarine.
This year’s Nativity Scene features a number of statuettes of people and animals outside farm buildings on the edge of Bethlehem. Mary and Joseph, various shepherds (some cradling lambs with long tails), and a mild-mannered cow and donkey, all look expectantly towards the straw-lined manger in the middle.
The welcoming straw is also spread over the surrounding ground so there’s a sense of the whole of our world readying itself for post-natal support duties. Around the scene is a healthy display of irises, lilies and proteas, and lots of ivy leaves.
As I was taking it all in, a good Sister flicked a switch for my benefit and the sky lit up with twinkling baby-lights and a hefty shooting star.
The only thing missing was a baby in the manger. [No, he hadn’t been nicked. I understand that Baby Jesus is placed on the straw literally on Christmas Eve.] But the empty space does get you thinking.
What came to my mind were the words “to us a Saviour is born”. Who are “us”? What are we being saved from? Is the same Jesus born every year? Some people will have instant answers to these questions.
Our wise leaders who gathered in Copenhagen recently know that the natural world, and even human life itself, are now under threat from global warming. In coming decades, parts of the planet will in fact drown. That’s not religious hocus-pocus. It’s reality. Believe it.
The world and the human race are on Death Row and time’s nearly up. And I can just imagine, if there is in fact a Day of Reckoning to come, each of us may one day be asked: “In 2009, you learned that human life was under severe risk of extinction due to global warming. Just run past me again what exactly you did to save Creation...”
On that day, I think many of us are going to snivel and wipe our noses and pretend the whole damned thing never really had anything to do with us personally. “OK, then I’ll repeat the question: in 2009...”
So this Christmas comes at a time when the world definitely needs saving. In such circumstances, the face of salvation might not be same old, same old. You can sense that something new is about to happen. Perish the thought, but... it might be stranger than we expected.
But to be honest, I knew he wouldn’t be. Every year round this time, I visit St Mary of the Angels in Boulcott Street to see their beautiful crib set up in one of the side chapels. As you walk down the majestic gothic nave, your eyes go up to the stunning stained glass windows, and wooden rafters high above. I particularly noticed the image of Christ walking on the water and trying to rescue the impetuous Peter who’d got it into his head that anyone could do it, but instead found himself drowning in aquamarine.
This year’s Nativity Scene features a number of statuettes of people and animals outside farm buildings on the edge of Bethlehem. Mary and Joseph, various shepherds (some cradling lambs with long tails), and a mild-mannered cow and donkey, all look expectantly towards the straw-lined manger in the middle.
The welcoming straw is also spread over the surrounding ground so there’s a sense of the whole of our world readying itself for post-natal support duties. Around the scene is a healthy display of irises, lilies and proteas, and lots of ivy leaves.
As I was taking it all in, a good Sister flicked a switch for my benefit and the sky lit up with twinkling baby-lights and a hefty shooting star.
The only thing missing was a baby in the manger. [No, he hadn’t been nicked. I understand that Baby Jesus is placed on the straw literally on Christmas Eve.] But the empty space does get you thinking.
What came to my mind were the words “to us a Saviour is born”. Who are “us”? What are we being saved from? Is the same Jesus born every year? Some people will have instant answers to these questions.
Our wise leaders who gathered in Copenhagen recently know that the natural world, and even human life itself, are now under threat from global warming. In coming decades, parts of the planet will in fact drown. That’s not religious hocus-pocus. It’s reality. Believe it.
The world and the human race are on Death Row and time’s nearly up. And I can just imagine, if there is in fact a Day of Reckoning to come, each of us may one day be asked: “In 2009, you learned that human life was under severe risk of extinction due to global warming. Just run past me again what exactly you did to save Creation...”
On that day, I think many of us are going to snivel and wipe our noses and pretend the whole damned thing never really had anything to do with us personally. “OK, then I’ll repeat the question: in 2009...”
So this Christmas comes at a time when the world definitely needs saving. In such circumstances, the face of salvation might not be same old, same old. You can sense that something new is about to happen. Perish the thought, but... it might be stranger than we expected.
